No. 1 Sinner outplays Zverev to retain Australian Open title

MELBOURNE, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- World No. 1 Jannik Sinner dispatched Germany's Alexander Zverev in straight sets to successfully defend his Australian Open title on Sunday, cementing his standing as the dominant player in men's tennis.

An unstoppable Sinner romped to a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory in a one-sided final between the top two seeds. He did not face a break point in two hours and 42 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

Sinner's consistency and prowess around the court frustrated Zverev, slamming 32 winners as he powered to a third title in the last five Grand Slams.

The Italian only lost two sets in the tournament as he joined Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to successfully defend their title in Melbourne since the turn of the century.

The 23-year-old's composure and understated resiliency helped him overcome adversity. He entered the tournament shrouded under a doping cloud after he twice tested positive last year for traces of the steroid clostebol.

On the court, Sinner had to battle through illness during a physically demanding four-set match against 13th seed Holger Rune in the last 16.

But he was barely challenged after that, with Sinner ascending to the leading figure in men's tennis in the aftermath of an era ruled by Djokovic, Federer and Rafael Nadal.

"We worked a lot to be in this position and it is an amazing feeling to share this moment with all of you," Sinner said to his team at the on-court ceremony.

Zverev, 27, was left flustered and helpless against Sinner's complete game. Like Sinner, Zverev had only lost two sets before the final but did benefit in the semifinals when 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic retired hurt after the first set.

The big-hitting German's wait for an elusive Grand Slam trophy continues. Zverev previously lost five-set finals at the 2020 US Open and last year's French Open, but he was completely outplayed on this occasion by a ruthless Sinner.

"It sucks standing next to this thing and not being able to touch it," Zverev said at the trophy ceremony. "Congratulations to Jannik, you deserve it. You are the best player in the world by far."

Sinner underlined his favoritism by efficiently rolling through the first set, but Zverev gallantly hung on in the face of a barrage from an opponent smelling blood.

Zverev produced moments of brilliance and twice was two points away from taking the second set. But Sinner had all the answers in a tense tiebreak to take a stranglehold before breaking for 4-2 in the third set.

Sinner did have some nerves closing the match on serve, but he was not to be denied as he celebrated his third major title by raising his arms to the sky. ■